


Timing

by Ibenholt



Category: Babylon 5
Genre: Centauri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-09
Updated: 2016-12-09
Packaged: 2018-09-07 10:42:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8797699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ibenholt/pseuds/Ibenholt
Summary: Londo is once again unimpressed with Durla.





	

“He’s going to kill him.”

“He didn’t the last time.”

“All the more reason to do it now.”

“Let’s hope he will be quick about it…”

Dron sighed softly and Boram hushed him. Durla had pro-longed the meeting by an hour, which sat well with no one in the centaurum, and emperor Mollari least of all, who had slowly deflated, and was almost lying straight out in his seat, his head propped up by the back of the chair. 

‘The danger of the others’, specifically foreigners to their world, was the theme of this tacked-on session. Launch pads, transport ships and docking bays had been destroyed in the bombings. This had put an end to the initial plan of evacuating foreigners. It seemed, however, that people had enough to tend to, if they weren’t going to blame their neighbours for things they could have had no involvement in, as they themselves were burying their dead and rebuilding their homes. 

In the end, the matter had sorted itself out. Dron was far from close with the emperor, but when the news had come out that no riots in the populated regions had broken out, he was the one who had been honored by a friendly slap on the back and a a relieved: “Thank the Maker, Illarus and the rest…”

This was a controversial topic for politicians, despite what certain races thought of Centauri. Many benefitted from their climate, the Abbai in particular. And then there was an impressive amount of humans living on the colonies. The colonies that Durla had seemed to forget about in this long speech he was holding. He was talking about sending 'them' away as soon as possible, and jailing those who refused to leave. 

“If there are no further questions, I would like to take a vote.” 

The emperor lifted his entire arm, as if he were a schoolboy. His hand hung limply, and he made no attempt to straighten his posture.

“Majesty?”

“Thank you, Durla.”

He slid out of his seat and walked down the marble steps so that he was standing in front of him. He proceeded to grab both his shoulders and violently shake him so much that his teeth rattled. Boram’s doubled over, doing his best not to laugh. Durla was at least a head taller than the emperor, but now he shrank. 

“HAVE YOU LOST WHATEVER WITS YOU CLAIM TO HAVE??? ARE YOU ACTUALLY AWARE OF HOW MANY NON-CENTAURI LIVE HERE??” 

“No, Majesty, but I’m sure…”

“NEITHER DO I, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE ARE ENOUGH OF THEM TO COMPLETELY FILL OUR CELLS!!! I ALSO KNOW THAT IF SUCH ACTION WAS TO TAKE PLACE, THE ALLIANCE WOULD REDUCE US TO A SPECK OF ASH IN SECONDS!! I AM NOT DYING TODAY, DURLA, AND DAMN ME TO HELL, NEITHER ARE YOU!!” 

He rushed past him, knocked everything over, and stepped hard on the map with Durla’s crude notes on it. 

“DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY REPORTS I HAVE OF FOREIGNERS WHO ARE HURT?? ON THE ISLAND OF RUITANA, THERE WERE THREE HUMANS WHO DIED FROM A LACK OF PROPER CARE!!” 

Londo stabbed Durla’s forehead with his finger, suddenly looking three heads taller than he really was, and yet he lowered his voice,

“Do you even realize how far up to our necks we will be in it if someone else learns of that?” 

“But majesty… surely you can see how beneficial it would be to us, once it all settled down? You did say that it would a Centauri Prime of old! I assume you meant before the time we starting allowing everyone to settle down here. My Prime candidates report that the Abbai population are holding strange rituals in the eastern regions, involving burning paint and noises that frighten the locals.”

Londo looked dumbstruck for all of two seconds before lifting his leg, taking his shoe of and smacking Durla with it,

“IT’S A MATING RITUAL, YOU FOOL!!” 

He stopped, and Durla lowered his arms, only to raise them again when Londo pointed at him with the shoe,

“This has to end now, do you hear me!! We have rebuilding to do, people to heal!”

Durla tried to interrupt, but Londo smacked his hand over his mouth and bared his own teet, 

“ENOUGH OF THIS SECRET POLICE NONSENSE YOU’RE SHOVING DOWN MY THROAT!! GO OUT AND PROTECT MY PEOPLE!! GET YOUR LITTLE TOY-SOLDIERS TO GEHANA AND MAKE DAMN CERTAIN EVERYONE THERE IS SAFE FROM THEFT AND VIOLENCE, OR I WILL INFLICT SOME ON YOU!! OUT!!”

Durla managed a small bow before heading for the door. Londo put his hand on the table, leaning slightly against it and glaring at the small figures on it. He suddenly turned to the half-circle of eyes staring at him. 

“AND THE REST OF YOU!!! IF I HEAR SO MUCH AS A PEEP OF THIS BEING A ‘GOOD START’ OR A ‘GOOD IDEA’, YOU CAN LOOK FORWARD TO CLEANING MY QUARTERS AND SCRUBBING THE ROYAL BATHCHAMBER FOR A YEAR! NOW, TO USE A HUMAN PHRASE: SCRAM!!”


End file.
